


"To be Continued"

by TaiGosh



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-25
Updated: 2013-08-25
Packaged: 2017-12-24 16:06:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/941889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaiGosh/pseuds/TaiGosh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a surprising turn of events at a swim meet Rin decides to confront his feelings for a certain tall broad shouldered someone...</p>
            </blockquote>





	"To be Continued"

**Author's Note:**

> “You want to know why I hate being second to that water otaku. It’s because of you, you idiot!”

The spectators packed into the small stadium watched with wide eyed amazement as the two lead swimmers in the fourth and fifth lanes pushed toward the finish, their competition left far behind them in a wash of foam and spray. They were neck and neck as they closed in on the pool’s edge, their lithe bodies stretched out and furiously working muscles taut as they dug deep for that last reserve of energy that would give them the deciding lead.

Makoto’s breath hitched as both the swimmers heads breached the surface simultaneously at the pool’s edge. They’d both reached the wall at the same time!

A draw?

That couldn’t be it. Neither of the swimmers would be satisfied with such a result. Not after everything that had happened over the past half year.

It was too close to call by sight and for several tense minutes, long after the slowest of the competitors had concluded his run, the judges deliberated, watching the replay of the finish several times over before calling their decision.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” a booming voice rang out of the overhead speakers, “The judges have finally made their decision, in third place for the 100m freestyle Regional Junior Championship, Seijuro Mikoshiba. In second place,” the announcer,who sounded suspiciously like their old swim club coach, paused for dramatic effect, “just 3 milliseconds behind first place…Matsuoka Rin takes the silver!”

The commentator’s announcement of the winner was drowned out by the crowd’s applause and cat calls, the clear favourite had won. It was no wonder, the regionals were being held in Iwatobi, the winner’s hometown, he was one of their own. The spectators filling up a larger majority of the stands were residents of the town; schoolmates, friends, relatives and town residents who in some way or another knew the winner, Haruka Nanase.

Makoto clapped along with everyone else his trademark smile never once leaving his lips. His eyes lit up in sincere amusement at the overtures of Nagisa and Rei, his team mates in the relay they’d raced just half an hour earlier, who whistled and jumped for joy at the victory of their friend and team mate.

His green eyes however, were focused only on the young man who had taken second place. Rin.

Rin pulled his swimming cap from his head with practiced ease but even from the 100 or so metre distance that separated them, Makoto could see his hands shake slightly. Despite being damp his red hair glinted vividly in the afternoon sun light piercing through the glass topped ceiling of the stadium, and his claret coloured eyes flashed with palpable disappointment and frustration. The easy smile he directed at his Samezuka High team mates was coloured with a tension he was trying and succeeding at hiding from everyone, except Makoto.

After all, what was there to be disappointed about? Silver at the Regional Junior championships was nothing to scoff at. It would definitely bring him closer to his dream of competing on the Japanese team at the Olympics. Earlier, Rei had pointed out a number of scouts scattered amongst the spectators, carrying clip boards and timers and decked out in uniforms announcing which training schools they were from they were easy to spot.

Makoto was sure a good majority of those scouts would try to get Rin to sign up with them and from there given his determination and natural talent, the sky was the limit. But he knew that wasn’t enough for the red head. For as long as he could remember, Rin had wanted to surpass Haruka. What had started out as a friendly competitiveness had unexpectedly or rather, unfortunately, turned into a hardened rivalry as they’d entered their teenage years. Makoto sighed as he recalled having to play the mediator between the two whenever their egos had clashed. It had been hard. It still was.

He watched Haru, still submerged and treading water at the pool's end, receiving the congratulations of the other competitors. His gaze shifted to Rin, who detached from his own slew of congratulators and made his way over to Haru before stretching out his hand. The two clasped hands and Rin helped Haru out of the water with one strong pull, The two clasped hands and Rin helped Haru out of the water with one strong pull, the two of them regarded each other for a moment in mutual respect before parting, delighting the onlookers who cheered at the show of good sportsmanship.

Had their rivalry been laid to rest at last?

The speakers crackled to life pulling him from his musings, “The awards ceremony will take place in thirty minutes, winners are advised to be dressed and seated in the designated area 10 minutes before the ceremony. Thank you for your attention.”

Makoto needlessly straightened his blue and white Team Iwatobi jumper before running a hand through his hair, pressed for time he hadn’t been able to brush out the slight curl that had set into his still slightly damp hair.

“You look good, Captain,” Nagisa said with an encouraging smile.

He let his hand fall to his side as he blushed both at the compliment and the fact that his self-consciousness had been so easily read. Rei who had been busy packing up their things looked up at him and smiled in silent agreement with Nagisa’s appraisal.

“Oh here they come!” one of the new additions to the swim club, a small dark haired girl, announced.

They all turned to find Haru was now making his way towards their team station where his clothes and shoes awaited. Matsuoka Gou, their team manager trailed behind him, trying but failing to wrap a large towel around him while at the same time wrangle him away from the pool’s edge. Makoto had to smile. Knowing Haruka, he was probably fighting every impulse to jump back in the pool.

“Yo…” Haru said once he reached the team station.

Behind him Gou winked at Makoto who began, “One, two, three…”

“CONGRATULATIONS!” the entire team shouted on cue.

Haruka’s eyes widened and he turned away, cheeks flushed.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

Makoto held back as the rest of the team surrounded Haru offering more personal congratulations. Everyone on the club knew about the rivalry between Haru and Rin, it had become something of a club goal to not only beat Samezuka’s entire team but for Haru specifically to beat the school’s star swimmer.

As the other members of the team drew back, retreating to the station to gather their things or making their way to the awards ceremony site, Makoto approached his long-time friend. Haru’s blue eyes shone with happiness and a sense of pride he’d kept hidden until that moment.

“Congrats, Haru-chan,” Makoto said softly, placing his hand over Haru’s shoulder.

Haru had never cared about medals and times, despite everyone’s insistence on pushing him into competitive swimming he just enjoyed being in the water. The very idea of turning his connection with water into some paltry exercise or sport had always galled him. But his competition with Rin had been more that a competition between two athletes. It had been a competition to gauge who was more connected to the water. Which was why this victory had meant so much to him. And none knew that better than Makoto.

They stood in silence for some time, Haruka’s eyes sparkling and that all too rare smile lighting his features.

“There’s no need to add ‘chan’,” Haru said plainly, his face taking on its usual disinterested expression as he spoke.

Makoto laughed at the half-serious affront in his friend’s tone, “But ‘Haru’ is okay, right?”

Haru’s pointed interest in pulling on his jumper was answer enough.

Just as Makoto bent down to pick up his own bag he spotted the Samezuka team’s approach. Some of the members who knew them called out their congratulations as they walked past. Not only to Haruka but to Makoto who himself had taken the bronze in the 200m backstroke event. Makoto found himself searching through the team for Rin but only caught occasional flashes of red amongst a sea of black.

________________________________________________________________

 

The award ceremony was a short affair but it gave Makoto a chance to spot Rin. He sat slouched in his chair with a cap emblazoned with the “Samezuka High” logo pulled low over his head hiding the red of both his hair and eyes. The aura surrounding him was so dark and gloomy it seemed even his teammates were finding it hard to make casual conversation with him. Looking at him it was hard to imagine he’d won three medals at the day’s events.

He made a mental note of Rin’s location, deciding that as soon as the closing speech concluded he’d make his way over to him.

However, as soon as the closing speech was over he found himself being hauled out to the parking lot. The team member’s parents had all come together and decided to treat the entire club to a celebration dinner at a family restaurant in Kaneyama, a large neighbouring town.

“Isn’t this great?” Nagisa enthused, “It’s like a mini road trip!”

“And the restaurant we’re going to has the best grilled squid in the world,” Rei added, an heartfelt sigh leaving his lips.

“Do they have mackerel?” Haru asked, “I’m not going if they don’t have mackerel.”

“Do you really like mackerel that much?” both Nagisa and Rei exclaimed. 

Makoto found it hard to focus on the conversation as he scanned the parking lot which still bustled with life. He didn’t know what he wanted to say to Rin. He wasn’t sure there was anything he could say that wouldn’t end up hurting the red head’s fiery sense of pride. But he knew he wouldn’t feel comfortable until they’d spoken.

His search seemed to be in vain however, when the Samezuka team bus drove past, the team members within calling out the Iwatobi team members who replied to the playful threats with equal fervour.

The bus that had been hired to ferry them to Kaneyama arrived at last a few minutes later. Makoto tamped down his disappointment at missing his opportunity to speak with Rin and hiked his bag up over his shoulder and made his way towards the bus. It wasn’t as though this had been their last opportunity to see each other he chided himself. Rin’s high school was just a bus ride away from Iwatobi.

An image of Rin’s strained smile flashed in his mind and he hesitated. He glanced back at the stadium entrance, half hoping to see Rin standing there. But there was no one there.

“Makoto?” Haru called.

“Mm,” Makoto replied.

Just as he turned to face his friend, he spotted an unmistakeable glint of red out of the corner of his eye. Rin! He hadn’t left yet.

Tossing his bag to Haru, he called out that they should go on ahead without him. He’d talk to Rin and then catch the 42 bus to Kaneyama. He sprinted towards the stadium ignoring the calls from his team mates and parents alike.

________________________________________________________________

 

“Rin!”

Eyes wide with surprise rose to meet his, “Makoto?!”

Makoto worked to get his breathing under control. He’d spent a good ten minutes running through the length and breadth of the stadium searching for the sulking red head. He’d finally found him on the stadium roof, leaning against the stone half wall at the edge of the roof, looking down through the skylight underfoot at the sparkling blue of the swimming pool a floor below. 

Rin watched him with a steady mixture of surprise, amusement and suspicion reflected on his face.

“What are you doing here?”

Makoto smiled at the prickly tone used to address him, “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I’m contemplating the meaning of life…”

“I never took you for a philosopher.”

Rin fought to maintain an unreadable expression on his face. But what good would it do? Makoto’s uncanny ability to empathize, added on to the fact that they knew each other far too well, meant he couldn’t hide what he was feeling from him.

His lips curved downwards in a frown, “Well, getting your ass handed to you at the one thing you’re good at will bring out the philosopher in anyone,” a bitter laugh escaped him, “You should go, your team’s waiting for you, Gou just sent me an message about some celebratory dinner…”

“I told them to go on ahead,” Makoto replied, making his way towards the edge of the roof.

“…why?”

“I-I didn’t get a chance to congratulate you earlier on so…”

Rin watched the colour rise in Makoto’s cheeks. Was this really the time to be blushing? And what kind of half baked reasoning was that? Makoto had his number and email address. He could have just called or sent him a message to pass on his regards but he’d ditched his friends and run (frantically it seemed) all the way up here…for his sake?

No. He cut off that train of thought. Once you start thinking like that you lose.

“I didn’t win,” he replied curtly and turned away from the sight of the gentle smile directed at him.

He’d accepted everyone else’s congratulations but he wouldn’t accept Makoto’s. He couldn’t. Because of everyone, save for Haruka, only Makoto knew how much…how desperately he’d wanted to win that day.

“Second place isn’t-”

“Isn’t so bad?” Rin nipped Makoto’s attempts to placate him in the bud.

“Isn’t bad at all is what I was going to say!” Makoto replied, “You’re an amazing swimmer, Rin. You’re talented and you’ve got this incredible determination-“

“Enough!” Rin exclaimed, his voice coming out much louder and sharper than he’d intended.

Second place wasn’t so bad? He’d had to deal with that damned position for far too long. The very idea of being second to Haruka made his skin crawl and that in itself, the fact that he could never find his way out of that sense of inferiority made him hate himself. His petty jealousy made him feel weak and stupid. He looked at Makoto, whose green eyes were fixed on some distant point ahead. No, he corrected, it wasn’t a petty jealousy that plagued him but a deep seated and paralyzing resentment that had cost him more than he could put into words.

The silence stretched between them, seemingly endless, before Makoto finally spoke, the humour gone from his voice, “Why was beating Haru so important to you?” he paused, taking a deep steadying breath, “I don’t get it, I really want to Rin, but I just can’t…”

There it was. That all important question. Why. Why had he let things spiral so out of control? Why had he let his sense of rivalry come between his friendship with all of them, Haru, Nagisa…Makoto?

“It doesn’t matter anymore…”

“It does matter,” Makoto cried, “To me… and I’m sure to Haru too.”

Rin cursed, his hands balled up into fists at his sides. An image of them on the stadium floor earlier that afternoon flashed to the fore; Makoto’s hand over Haru’s shoulder, that all too familiar love sick look on his face as he congratulated him on his win, his green eyes twinkling with laughter…

“Haru! Haru! Haru!” he’d reached his limit, “Is he all you ever think about?”

Makoto’s response was a wide eyed gaze, reminiscent of a doe caught in a car's headlights, that did little to placate Rin’s current temper.

“You want to know why I hate being second to that water otaku. It’s because of you, you idiot!”

“Eh?”

Rin faltered. Was he really ready to do this? He took a deep breath steeling himself. Maybe this was the closure he needed. He’d already lost the race. Why not making it a solid two for two?

In a lower voice he began, “I know how you feel about Haru and I knew…I know I could never compete with that…”

Makoto shook his head, “You’re not making any sense, Rin.”

“But I thought that if I could at least beat him at this one thing then maybe, just maybe, losing you to him wouldn’t hurt as much…”

“I…I don’t understand.”

“I like you, you idiot. Is that clear enough for you?”

Their eyes met for a brief moment before Rin looked away, embarrassed by his abrupt and awkward confession. He started when he felt a warm hand brush against his cheek. And when he turned, warm soft lips captured his in a gentle kiss.

“We’re both idiots, you know,” Makoto whispered.

“Why’s that?” Rin asked dazedly, pulling Makoto’s head towards his for another kiss, not caring if this was reality or another one of his numerous fantasies. The taste of him was incredible…intoxicating.

Makoto pulled back slightly, his confession uttered breathlessly, “I thought you liked Haru…all this time, whenever I mentioned him I did it because I thought you would want to know how he was, I thought you’d want to know he was concerned about you…”

Rin’s brows furrowed in obvious surprise at the revelation then chuckled, bumping his forehead slightly against Makoto’s, “You’re right, we are both idiots.”

Makoto laughed.

“Now come on, we need to get you to a celebratory dinner.”

“We could just stay up here and…” Makoto backed him up against the end wall, closing him in.

The uncharacteristically forward move from the usually shy and submissive Makoto sent an electric tingle down Rin’s spine, for a moment his mind went pleasantly blank.

“I was trying to do the gentlemanly thing,” he sighed, regaining some composure, “I know you’d regret missing out on an event with your team mates.”

Makoto considered his words for a long while before speaking, “To be continued?”

Rin nodded decisively, “To be continued.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you see any spelling or grammatical errors or anything that doesn't sound right let me know. Thanks.


End file.
